North95

Check out this Op-Ed Piece from today's NY Times about the new anti-internet gambling law: The G.O.P.’s Bad Bet By CHARLES MURRAY Published: October 19, 2006 Las Vegas LAST week President Bush signed a law that will try to impede online gambling by prohibiting American banks from transferring money to gambling sites. Most Americans probably didn’t notice or care, but it may do significant political damage to the Republicans this fall and long-term damage to Americans’ respect for the law. So, a month before a major election, the Republicans have allied themselves with a scattering of voters who are upset by online gambling and have outraged the millions who love it. Furthermore, judging from many hours of online chat with Internet poker players, I am willing to bet (if you’ll pardon the expression) that the outraged millions are disproportionately electricians, insurance agents, police officers, mid-level managers, truck drivers, small-business owners — that is, disproportionately Republicans and Reagan Democrats. In the short term, this law all by itself could add a few more Democratic Congressional seats in the fall elections. We are talking about a lot of people (an estimated 23 million Americans gamble online) who are angry enough to vote on the basis of this one issue, and they blame Republicans. In the long term, something more ominous is at work. If a free society is to work, the vast majority of citizens must reflexively obey the law not because they fear punishment, but because they accept that the rule of law makes society possible. That reflexive law-abidingness is reinforced when the laws are limited to core objectives that enjoy consensus support, even though people may disagree on means. Thus society is weakened every time a law is passed that large numbers of reasonable, responsible citizens think is stupid. Such laws invite good citizens to choose knowingly to break the law, confident that they are doing nothing morally wrong. The reaction to Prohibition, the 20th century’s stupidest law, is the archetypal case. But the radical expansion of government throughout the last century has created many more. For example, all employers are confronted with rules and regulations from Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that they regard with contempt — not because they cut into profits, but because they are, simply, stupid. They impede employers yet provide no collateral social benefit. And so employers treat the stupid regulations as obstructions to be fudged or ignored. When they have to comply, they do not see compliance as the right thing to do, but as placating an agency that will hurt them otherwise. The same thing applies to lesser degrees to all of us who find ourselves doing things that we know are pointless (think of various aspects of tax law) only because we fear attracting a bureaucracy’s attention. For millions of Americans, our day-to-day relationship with government is increasingly like paying protection to the Mafia — keeping it off our backs while we get on with our lives. The temptation for good citizens to ignore a stupid law is encouraged when it is unenforceable. In this, the attempt to ban Internet gambling is exemplary. One of the four sites where I play poker has blocked United States customers because of the law, but the other three are functioning as usual and are confident that they can continue to do so. They are not in America, and it is absurdly easy to devise ways of transferring money from American bank accounts to institutions abroad and thence to gambling sites. And so the federal government once again has acted in a way that will fail to achieve its objective while alienating large numbers of citizens who see themselves as having done nothing wrong. The libertarian part of me is heartened by this, hoping that a new political coalition will start to return government to its proper functions. But the civic-minded part of me is apprehensive. Reflexive loyalty to the rule of law is an indispensable cultural asset. The more honest citizens who take for granted that they are breaking the law, the more their loyalty to the law, and to the government that creates it, is eroded. Charles Murray is a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth. Franklin D. Roosevelt

I don't know if this is the same incident, but here in New York today, according to The New York Times, a schoolgirl did stab and kill a friend during a fight over a ball. The Times didn't mention a barbecue. North Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth. Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Anyone have any recommendations for a good MD, hopefully in the New York City area? I compressed a couple of thoracic vertebrae, T3 and T4 in a not so good landing last September. I jumped twice since then about two months ago in Eloy. I had no problem except that I felt sore, like after working out, only worse, and decided to stop for a while, even though my plan was to finish AFF. My whuffo doctor here is very busy and was unable to see me for several weeks when I felt I really needed to see him. I really want a doctor that can squeeze me in if need be, at least in a few days or a week. And my doctor is not a sports medicine guy and is not very sympathetic to my jumping needs. I've heard of a Dr. Cole, in Florida, whose put back together several jumpers. i don't remember his first name or city. And I'd rather go to someone near New York City. I do have some names of some doctors in the Hospital for Special Surgery. I haven't investigated them yet. I didn't need any surgery after my crash, just some rest and plenty of morphine. I'm having trouble tolerating my physical therapy right now, and I've been given a month off from it. I really think I need at least a second opinion. Anyone have any referrals? I'm willing to travel if necessary. Thanks. BS North BTW, its bedtime for me here on the East Coast (USA), so do not expect me to respond to anything until tomorrow.

I believe that's also the case in New York State, where I work and live. Of course, I'm not a lawyer, but I am a Radiologic Technologist (X-Ray Tech). That's NOT the normal way of doing things. Everything should, and I believe usually is counted. It's only when the count is off that an X-Ray is taken, and I've taken a number of those myself. X-Ray'ing everyone after surgery would significantly increase the average X-Ray dose to the patients which would result in more cases of cancer i.e. leukemia etc. Not that there aren't numerous unnecessary X-Rays, CT scans etc. already. There would also need to be a serious increase in the number of X-Ray techs, and a bunch more equipment necessary to do that. There are LOTS of surgeries going on in this country. That would cost much money. Now I've taken this thread in an unnecessarily serious direction. BS North

I've been doing AFF here at Skydive Arizona Eloy. I passed AFF1, need to repeat AFF2, although they said I didn't "fail". Anyway, I'm 47, was injured before, and feel physically that I can't continue. I have aches and pains that just go beyond normal exercise aches. I'm hoping that after some more time of healing I can make another comeback. I don't want to quit, but I don't really feel like I should continue. It shouldn't be this uphill. At least now, I've ended after two good jumps and landings. My logbook says "good canopy control & landing!!" I won't mention my flaws. Blue Skies North Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Jumped AFF2 earlier today. Now on wind hold. Didn't fail, they said, but I have to repeat AFF2. Lost arch a couple of times. Went out of order and started turns before practice pulls. Good landing. Couldn't hear radio well and flared at the right time anyway. Had to undo line twists again. Blue Skies North Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth. Franklin D. Roosevelt

I just passed AFF1 in Eloy. I crashed my last jump at the end of September last year and have been planning my return ever since, for almost six months. The jump was fucking incredible. I almost stood up the landing this time. Landed crosswind without a problem (the winds shifted). I had line twists when I opened, but they came undone very easily. I'm one happy camper.

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Does anyone have information or an opinion about "your SOS"? I'm referring to the emergency contact and alert system. They used to advertise here, I haven't seen an ad lately. I'm starting AFF for two weeks starting next week and was going to subscribe to their system. I guess I'm a little superstitious, I feel that if I prepare for an emergency it won't happen. They're not very expensive, especially compared with everything else I'm planning to spend to get an "A". I'm having second thoughts mostly because I'm having trouble registering. I'm using a MAC, tried with three different browsers, including IE and Netscape. The SOS support guy has been "looking into it" since the 15th. I know I will have to leave emergency contact names with manifest anyway, but this system seemed better, more thorough. Has anyone had a good or bad experience with this company? North

Here's a picture of me and my newest cousin Abigail. Sorry, but I had to compress the hell out of the image for some reason. North

My backpack is too small! I used some heavy textbooks, (including Halliday & Resnick [someone mentioned that one in another post], Frommer's Arizona [my last name is Frommer, no relation], and another heavy medical textbook) They only weighed ten pounds! It didn't feel heavy or bad. I guess I'll have to find me some bricks, although my backpack probably will probably give out before I will. I'll be in some sad shape if I don't find a computer in AZ. I don't have a laptop. I spoke to the DZ today. i forgot to ask them about that. I did find out that I will have a small problem because they require two instructors for AFF 1-3. i only had one for AFF1, and had no problem freefalling, my problem was stopping. Anyway, they have only one full-time instructor. The others have day jobs, and will get to the DZ at 4, or maybe one at 2PM, Monday-Friday. Once I get through AFF3, there won't be a problem. Maybe its better to start out slowly anyway. Buckeye is not a big town, I don't know if they have an internet cafe. They probably have some computers at the DZ, although I can't say for sure. Sounds like I'll have time to drive to Phoenix perhaps to get online. Maybe I can live offline for two weeks. There are telephones there. I hope your knee is better Cindy. Hopefully we'll both be jumping at Crosskeys. North

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That right, I'll be back in the air in about a week. I can be seen at DSC in Buckeye AZ on Monday March 22 starting at 9AM. I've been on the ground for almost six months, ever since my not-so-graceful landing on my last AFF1. Now that the fractures have healed, I'm ready to stand up a landing, or at least PLF better. I'm trying to concentrate on the good parts of the last jump; I pulled at the correct altitude, did my control checks, found the DZ, landed not too far from where I was supposed to, and in the planned direction. Sounds easy to you guys. And you know, on that final upwind leg, I really thought I had it made. Anyway, I have one week of work left, then it time for AZ. I'm sure I'll be so pumped by next weekend that I'll have to post this again. North

JT - I'll bet you can recognize the North Fork behind North's left foot. North